Chapter One What Is an Infographic 4 C h a p t e r o n e W h a t i s a n i n f o g r a p h i c Our world is full of words homework assignments text messages Web pages and books It is also full of useful numbers speed limit signs clocks and thermometers all communicate important information about the world And have you ever heard someone say a picture is worth a thousand words This means that images such as photographs drawings or maps can sometimes communicate more than words or numbers can When you combine words numbers and images you can infographics along our roads help keep us safe
5 create a powerful document that presents a large amount of information in a small amount of space An infographic is a document that combines words numbers and images to explain something in an appealing visual way Infographics can be used to inform persuade or raise questions Sometimes they are also used to advertise products You can find them in places such as newspapers magazines and Web sites They’re a fun way to learn new things and a fun way to share what you’ve learned too Have you ever made mind maps at school These quick sketches show how your ideas are connected to each other At school you might also sometimes fill in worksheets called graphic organizers where the spaces are planned out for you in advance Are mind maps and graphic organizers infographics Well not exactly They have words arranged visually and they help you plan your work but they can be hard for someone else to read and understand Infographics are different because they are made up of small bits of information that together communicate a big idea are finished work rather than just quick notes are organized clearly so the information is presented in order are easy to understand are designed to look good with fonts images col ors and shapes that are carefully selected to work together
6 Try This educator David Warlick collects interesting infographics you can browse recent posts at http davidwarlick com graphicaday until you find a topic that interests you at first you’ll see a tiny version of the infographic known as a thumbnail Click on the thumbnail to reveal a larger version of the graphic some infographics are so wide or tall that they must be shrunk to fit on the screen your cursor may turn into a magnifying glass with a inside that means that you can click on the image to zoom in and see the infographic in greater detail to get a copy of this activity visit www cherrylakepublishing com activities Continued on the next page C h a p t e r o n e W h a t i s a n i n f o g r a p h i c
7 With a friend find at least three infographics ask yourselves these questions What is the purpose of this infographic is it to inform persuade raise questions or advertise Which parts of the infographic give you that information What is the infographic’s main message Where do you see charts or graphs that turn numbers into pictures how do they help you understand the numbers What types of images are used Photographs icons Cartoons original artwork in what order should you read the information top to bottom Left to right Clockwise are there arrows or lines that help you figure this out Who created the infographic Where did they find their information Look for citations of books or Web pages at the bottom of the infographic Purpose Purpose Message Message
